FRWA eNews/DBP's Backwards Approach

April 6, 2023

TTHM A Backwards Approach

JOHN JACKSON

GENERAL MANAGER OPERATOR

RIVER PARK UTILITIES MANAGEMENT ASSOC.

MARCH 30, 2023

Disinfection by Products have been a known issue in water treatment for several decades. The creation of Disinfection by Products (DBP’s) has seen many ideas and operational strategies over the same time period. Back in the late part of the 80’s it was thought DBP’s were created when “Breakpoint Chlorination” was not achieved during the disinfection process. This resulted in many facilities over chlorinating in attempt to ensure break point chlorination was achieved, thus having issues with the creation of even more DBP’s.

Here in a small community water system in Central Florida we were faced with a system that had bad numbers on the DBP charts. With sample results being more than double the MCL; TTHM 183ug/l and HAA5 105ug/l were noted at the peak of our problems.

It wasn’t an easy thing to drill down on as we had several other factors that were working against us. The utility draws water from two different wells. One of which has a high iron content (5mg/l) the other an artesian flowing well which produces just enough water to eliminate the need for the draw from the iron heavy well. Lastly, we have an undeveloped section of the community with one home that is being served. After looking at data and understanding the type of TTHM we were creating, it was identified Chloroform was the primary TTHM created.

I remembered years ago how the water at my house was drinkable and my neighbor 3 doors down was not. He used a Purple Permanganate system while I used a PAC system. Hydrogen sulfide was destroyed by my system, but not by his. This gave me an idea! Fred Handy of Florida Rural Water (FRWA) put us in contact with Julie Guimond of Sensible Water Solutions (SWS) as our thought of using GAC or PAC as a possible means to remove the DBP’s was in line with a patented solution she had already been working on. She did preliminary sampling and designed a system to meet our needs. Unfortunately, the cost involved was not in our immediate PAGE 2 budget. At the same time, we were just put on a consent order issued by FLDEP to remediate the issue within a two-year period. more

2022 CCR Information

FRWA received the updated CCR Report Template from DEP and it is posted on our website. To access the information, click here. Please contact the water circuit rider in your area if you need additional assistance by calling FRWA at 850.668.2746.

Articles of Interest

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This Week in Water History

Typhoid Lawsuit and Reservoir Damage Lawsuit

April 6, 1916: “Three Sue City for Typhoid Deaths. Milwaukee, Wis.-Three suits brought against the city of Milwaukee as a result of the recent typhoid epidemic, have been filed in circuit court, by two men for the deaths of their sons, and by a woman for the death of her husband. They are for $10,000 each. The complainants claim that the victims contracted the disease from the use of lake water, alleged to be unfit to drink because of the sewage which is being constantly emptied into the lake. The suits charge negligence in allowing the water to become polluted and at the same time supplying it to drink. It is claimed that at various times during the last ten years the city officials have been notified of the condition of the water, but that no attention has been paid to the warnings.”

“City Wins Reservoir Damage Suit. Fort Worth, Tex.-The second court of civil appeals has reversed and remanded the reservoir damage case against the city of Fort Worth, in which a jury in the sixty-seventh district court had awarded the plaintiff $39,867.88 for damage to her land flooded by the backwaters of Lake Worth and alleged damage to adjoining uplands. This is the first of four big reservoir damage suits that have gone against the city under the present administration to be submitted to the higher court. It was appealed on the grounds that the court erred in admitting certain testimony and of misconduct of the jury in considering matter that was not in evidence. The jury awarded $75 an acre for 361 acres of lowlands and $9 an acre for 839 acres of uplands. City witnesses appraised the lowlands at from $35 to $50 an acre and testified the uplands were not damaged. By the reversal the city also saves the interest on $39,867.88 from April 28, 1915.”